Tejas R has at all times used sport to make a distinction. And it was no totally different within the war-torn Arab nation that desperately wanted the therapeutic energy of sports activities
Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Tejas R is simply again from Lebanon, the place he helped to carry collectively a divided group by means of sports activities and train life abilities like capability constructing and crew spirit.Though he has at all times used his love for sports activities, particularly freestyle soccer, to do good – from instructing basketball to kids with autism or instructing soccer to underprivileged youngsters – Lebanon was a complete new expertise.
“Lebanon has a complex political-socio scenario,” says Tejas, who was invited to the nation by Arcenciel, a humanitarian organisation. “Wars have had a major impact on the country and it is divided by religion. On one side you can see the refugee camps of Palestine, Armenia and Syria while on the other, there are local extremist groups,” he says.
During his keep of over 40 days, Tejas labored primarily with three teams – Peace of Art, an NGO; a circus named Cirquenciel and Snoubar Skate Park.

Coming collectively on the skate park“The skate park is in a vulnerable hotspot of Beirut – right in the centre of all the communities. Each community has to cut across the skate park to get easy access to the other side. So, the idea was to bring different communities together for skateboarding lessons, encourage coaches to work with children and use our skills for social learning.”
“Although many of these kids are Palestinians who had to leave their country, they are progressive thinkers who want to bring about a positive change. They understand the importance of education and empowering the next generation,” says Tejas, who’s now in Meghalaya.

Working with circus artistes
As a part of the mission with Cirquenciel, Tejas labored with circus artistes and picked up many gymnastic and juggling abilities within the course of, regardless of the preliminary problem of not understanding the language. From cooking Indian meals for his hosts to watching Turkish cleaning soap operas with them, he even tried his hand at oud, the Persian instrument and tavla, the native board recreation.
“I learnt how to make soaps, local carpets and candles. Some of the children made me climb trees, showed me their favourite spots and taught me poems. I just loved communicating with the community,” he recollects.
He cherishes the reminiscences he made in Lebanon. “Thanks to the internet, we have a different perception of the Arab world. But the trip made me realise that whether we are from India or any other part of the world, all of us are the same at the end of the day.”

–Deepa Natarajan Lobo